Atharva Veda 7.90.2: Kanda 7, Anuvaka 9, Sukta 90, Mantra 2
Sukta 90
व॒यं तद॑स्य॒ सम्भृ॑तं॒ वस्विन्द्रे॑ण॒ वि भ॑जामहै । म्ला॒पया॑मि भ्र॒जः शि॒भ्रं वरु॑णस्य व्र॒तेन॑ ते
vayáṃ tád asyá sámbhṛtaṃ vásv índreṇa ví bhajāmahai | mlāpayā́mi bhrájaḥ śibhraṃ váruṇasya vraténa te ||
That gathered wealth of his, with Indra will we portion out. I make to wither thy flashing splendour, by Varuṇa’s ordinance upon thee.
उसके पास जो धन है, उसे हम इंद्र के साथ बाँट लेंगे। तेरी चमक-धमक को मैं सुखाता हूँ। वरुण के नियम से तेरी ताकत कम हो रही है।
The meaning
What it says
A twofold coercive formula: “That wealth he has gathered, with Indra we will portion out. I make your flashing splendour wither, by Varuṇa’s ordinance upon you.” It appropriates the adversary’s store and dries up their brilliance by divine law.
The inner meaning
It dramatizes the shift from intimidation by another’s ‘shine’ to reclaiming one’s share of power. Varuṇa’s ‘vrata’ symbolizes conscience, accountability, and the binding reality principle that deflates inflated ego.
The truth in it
Power without ethical grounding is unstable. What is hoarded or unjustly amassed can be redistributed; false brilliance withers when confronted by law, truth, and consequence.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Abhicārika with Paustika inversion (taking enemy’s wealth/force)
Its aim
To appropriate an adversary’s amassed wealth/power with Indra’s aid and to wither the adversary’s brilliance/force through Varuṇa’s binding ordinance.
Word by Word
Pada patha
वयम् । तत् । अस्य । सम्भृतम् । वसु । इन्द्रेण । वि । भजामहै । म्लापयामि । भ्रजः । शिभ्रम् । वरुणस्य । व्रतेन । ते ।
- वयम्
- wePronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (त्रिलिङ्ग), प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him/thisof him/of this (of the adversary or of the situation; deictic, context-bound)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इदम्/अदस्-समूह: अयम्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्य
- सम्भृतम्
- collected, gatheredgathered together, amassed (stored power/wealth to be redistributed)Adjective/Participleनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन (तत् इति कर्मणि विशेषणम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root सम् + √भृ (भरणे) → सम्भृत (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
- वसु
- wealth, goodwealth, good, treasure (material prosperity and its potency)Nounनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रेण
- by/with Indrawith Indra; by Indra’s aid (martial redistribution)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, asunder; distributivelyapart; asunder; distributively (division/appropriation)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भजामहै
- we apportion/sharewe apportion/share; we take our portion (ritualized redistribution)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot √भज् (सेवायाम्/विभागे)
- म्लापयामि
- I cause to wither/weakenI cause to wither; I make fade (debilitation of hostile brilliance)Verbलट्, परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot √म्लै/म्ला (ग्लाने) + णिच् → म्लापय
- भ्रजः
- splendours, flashes (of brilliance)splendor, glow, brilliance (enemy’s shine/force; also weapon-luster)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिके), द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot भ्रज्/भ्रजस् (प्रातिपदिक; तेजस्/दीप्तिः) → भ्रजः
- शिभ्रम्
- bright, shiningswift/keen; flashing (epithet of brilliance; textually uncertain nuance)Adjectiveनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन (भ्रजः इत्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण/सम्बद्धम्)Role कर्म (विशेषण)Root शिभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणस्य
- of VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- व्रतेन
- by (his) ordinance/vowby the ordinance/vow (vrata as binding law; coercive norm)Nounनपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you/thythy/for thee (addressed to the adversary or to the targeted force; pronominal target marker)Pronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- वयम् | तत् | अस्य | सम्भृतम् | वसु | इन्द्रेण | वि | भजामहै । म्लापयामि | भ्रजः | शिभ्रम् | वरुणस्य | व्रतेन | ते ।
- 1) वस्विन्द्रेण = वसु + इन्द्रेण (उकारस्य सवर्णदीर्घ/सन्धि-समाससदृश संयोगः; लेखने ‘वस्वि-’).
- 2) तदस्य = तत् + अस्य (त् + अ → द + अ; ‘तत्’ का अन्त्य ‘त्’ परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जनसन्धिना ‘द’).
- 3) वरुणस्य व्रतेन: पदान्त ‘-स्य’ + ‘व-’ पर विशेष सन्धि नहीं
- केवल पदसंयोग।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (varies)
- Devata
- Indra (appropriation/victory) and Varuṇa (binding ordinance)
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (probable; verify)
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sāyaṇa reads the first hemistich as seizure/redistribution of the opponent’s amassed ‘vasu’ under Indra’s victorious patronage. The second hemistich invokes Varuṇa’s ‘vrata’ as binding law to cause the enemy’s ‘bhrāj’ (splendor/force) to fade—moral-cosmic constraint harnessed for practical subjugation.
Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa interface (late-book attribution varies)
Coercive redistribution and binding spells: combining Indra’s taking-power with Varuṇa’s juridical binding (vrata).
A classic Atharvanic strategy: pair a force-deity (Indra) with a law-deity (Varuṇa) to make victory both potent and ‘authorized’ by cosmic order.
Indra and Varuṇa
Indra enables conquest and redistribution; Varuṇa binds through r̥ta/vrata, constraining the adversary’s brilliance and freedom of action.
Protects the client’s prosperity by weakening the adversary’s tejas/bhrajas and legitimizing the transfer under Varuṇic constraint.
4 × ~8; late Atharvanic anuṣṭubh with heavier compounds and coercive diction
Two-deity structure across hemistichs; the second half pivots from acquisition to withering—typical Atharvanic ‘double action’ charm.
First half expansive (vi bhajāmahai), second half constrictive (mlāpayāmi… vratena).
Creates a felt movement from taking to binding; psychologically stabilizes victory by invoking law.
Establish a small fire or a ritual space with a boundary line (to control transfer).
Place a heap of grains/coins/pebbles as a proxy for ‘sambhṛta vasu’.
Recite the first hemistich while dividing the heap into portions and drawing one portion toward the performer (vi bhajāmahai).
Recite the second hemistich while dimming/extinguishing a small flame or covering a glowing ember with ash (mlāpayāmi bhrājaḥ), symbolizing the enemy’s fading brilliance.
Conclude by binding a cord/knot (Varuṇa’s vrata) and setting it aside or burying it, ‘fixing’ the constraint on the adversary.
Kauśika Sūtra: rites for enemy-weakening and wealth-transfer (abhicāra with ‘taking the portion’ motifs); exact sūtra number requires concordance.
Atharvan as operator of transfer and constraint: manages symbolic appropriation (division) and binding (Varuṇa-vrata) to prevent retaliation.
Used in rites for success in disputes, recovery of property, or protection of household wealth; may accompany symbolic ‘portioning’ (dividing grains/coins) while reciting.
Before negotiations, court-like assemblies, or when reclaiming debts (traditional setting).
A practitioner may supervise to keep the rite within dharma and avoid retaliatory cycles.
Safer adaptation: use as a reflection on ethical wealth and accountability, not as harm-directed coercion.
Vasu (wealth); Bhrāj/Tejas (brilliance as power); Varuṇa’s Vrata (binding law as coercive instrument)
Wealth is treated as a movable essence; brilliance is treated as a perishable ‘shine’ that can be dried up; law (vrata) functions like an invisible noose.
Adversary/competitor; their hoarded resources and social ‘shine’.
Appropriate an opponent’s amassed wealth and weaken their intimidating brilliance through Varuṇa’s binding ordinance.
Indra-assisted appropriation + Varuṇa-law coercion (vrata) to ‘wither’ brilliance; speech-act of reallocation (vi-bhaj).
Economic harm, exploitation, domination by a powerful rival.
Wealth redistribution to the client; victory in disputes.
- सम्भृत (sambhṛta)
- accumulated capital—resources, influence, stored momentum
- वसु (vasu)
- life-supporting abundance; also ‘value’ that can be reallocated
- इन्द्रेण (indreṇa)
- victorious agency; assertive capacity to take and apportion
- वि भजामहै (vi bhajāmahai)
- rebalancing; reclaiming rightful share; breaking monopoly
- म्लापयामि (mlāpayāmi)
- drying up glamour; removing the sheen of dominance
- भ्रजः शिभ्रम् (bhrajaḥ śibhram)
- charisma-as-weapon; intimidating radiance
- वरुणस्य व्रतेन (varuṇasya vratena)
- binding moral-cosmic constraint; accountability that compels
Reclaim your energy from intimidation; submit egoic ‘shine’ to truth and accountability.
Maṇipūra (agency) and Viśuddha (truth/vrata)
Inhale on ‘indreṇa vi bhajāmahai’; exhale long on ‘mlāpayāmi… vratena te’ as a releasing of fear of others’ brilliance.
A pile of resources is evenly divided; a harsh glare around the adversary fades into neutral light under a blue Varuṇic ‘noose’ of law.
Assertive yet ethically bound.
End practice with a brief vow (vrata) of right use of regained resources to avoid turning victory into new hoarding.
Maintain clear separation between the Indra clause and the Varuṇa clause; let the second half descend in tone to convey binding/withering.
Stress ‘sambhṛtam vasu’ and ‘vi bhajāmahai’; in second half stress ‘mlāpayāmi’ and ‘varuṇasya vratena’.
Firm, judicial; less harsh than 7.90.1—more ‘binding’ than ‘striking’.
Traditionally paired with material acts of taking/portioning; without ritual bounding, prefer symbolic/ethical reinterpretation.
3 times
Recovering from exploitation; reclaiming time/energy from a domineering person or system; negotiating fair distribution.
Before negotiations; when setting financial boundaries; during a symbolic act of budgeting/portioning resources.
Increased agency, reduced intimidation by others’ ‘glare,’ clearer commitment to fairness and accountability.
Avoid using to justify unethical taking; if conflict escalates, seek mediation/legal counsel rather than ritual hostility.
No explicit herb is named; the operative ‘substances’ are wealth-proxies (grain/heap) and light/heat (bhrāj). The rite likely uses divisible material to enact ‘vi bhajāmahai’ and a controllable flame/ember to enact ‘mlāpayāmi’.
It legitimizes redistribution of an opponent’s resources through divine sovereignty: Indra authorizes taking, Varuṇa authorizes binding. The verse presumes a world where cosmic law can be weaponized by ritual specialists for household advantage.
The pairing of Indra (force) with Varuṇa (law) is RV-familiar, but the Atharvanic deployment is more instrumental: ‘portion out his amassed wealth’ reads like a direct operational objective rather than a mythic praise-frame.
Gopatha’s Atharvanic ideology often treats Varuṇa’s ‘vrata’ as a real binding mechanism and Indra as the agent of victory; together they provide a dual guarantee—coercion by law and success by force—mirroring the verse’s two-part strategy.
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